Software pinpoints customer locations

By Jon Swartz
USA Today

Consumers will start seeing more Web information and advertising tailored to where they live, work and travel if a recent technology startup has its way.

Quova, based in Mountain View, Calif., is one of several "geo-location" software companies that let Web sites know where their users are geographically.

The technology, which helps Web sites identify the city where a person logs on, has sweeping implications for companies doing business on the Web.

For one, it helps companies target specific Internet promotions to specific consumers in specific regions. And it lets companies that must deal with different laws in different regions, such as online gambling operators, tailor their services.